Frustrated with my lack of self control

Here's some tips on breaking a binge session.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131
Have a good think about when these breakdowns happen and how you might strategize around them.

And another of my blogs about habit change.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/it-s-all-about-habit-change-715479

Like they said you're not a failure it happens to many of us. Let me suggest printing and putting up a picture of what you used look like and hang it on the frig and on your pantry doors that way anytime you go for food you can get reminded of what your goals are. That's always worked for me.

dechelonian wrote: »

You are not a failure, I'm sure a lot of us here have gone through the same self control and moderation issues you are having right now.

This. And to be honest I'm not really sure why it finally clicked when it did. I do know a few things helped--as kikichewie said above, letting myself be imperfect, and not letting one screw up mean I was a failure and would have to start all over (so might as well go nuts in the meantime). Focusing on small habit changes until I had them down and then moving on to the next one.

Specifically, I think the most helpful things I did was make my goal seem real to me by sitting down and mapping it all out. I had 90 lbs I wanted to lose when I did this* (I'd lost 10 already, but was reaching the time when I normally would fall off the wagon and give up for a while), and I decided to aim for losing it all in one year (I'm not someone who will be derailed by not making a goal like that, so long as I'm making progress). I came up with other things I wanted to be doing fitness-wise in one year, and then made goals for 6 months, 3 months, 1 month, and 1 week, so on. The first ones were really do-able--walk a certain amount per day, get in 2-3 sessions on the exercise bike per week, cook all my dinners and include protein and veggies, get in the habit of having a healthy breakfast with protein and veggies (I'm a breakfast person). And I started and I journaled my progress--things that were going well, things I was struggling with. That set my goals for the next week, and helped me see it as a process where improvement was the goal, not perfection.

Journaling also really helped with my habitual and emotional eating--when I wanted to eat I wrote about it, and that helped me sort out that it was really about something else. For a while I nibbled on low cal things to deal with the desire to eat, but I also worked on finding other ways to deal with stress, so on--but again, a lot term process.

There have definitely been times when I've skipped too many workouts in a row or overeaten or made bad food decisions, but that's not necessarily a negative but part of the learning process that can make you stronger going forward as you come to understand it better, IMO.

*I lost 85 of them in that year. Now I still have the last 5 to go, but I'm sure I will make it, eventually.

Im probably going to get flagged into oblivion, but try researching keto (very low carb) especially since you are diabetic. There are TONS of cases where diabetics no longer take any diabetic medication while eating keto.

Keto saved me. I tried pure calorie counting and was miserable. i was addicted to those high carb snacks and foods, no longer. Other snacks that I lack self control around (such as salty nuts) I just don't buy or try and buy in small quantities.

Just give all your food away, dont throw it out. I cleared out 1/2 my pantry and gave unopened things to food bank, and opened stuff to parents and relatives.

6.5 months after starting keto I am now down 60lbs. Where as I failed pure calorie counting many times in the past.

But you are a human being and as such you have the gift of reason. If you start craving sugars but you know you already had enough food for the day, then take a deep breath, count to 20 and don't eat them, carry on.

If you really can't control yourself try finding a weight watchers or some other sort of group in your area and look for support there (it helps!).

If there is no way you can control the sugar cravings, at least try to consume other sugary, more healthy foods like fruit. They have tons of sugar, so if sugar is your only issue they will help and I would say its better and more sattisfying to eat a pound of strawberry, oranges or whatever than a pound of chocolate :P

Try for one day. If the cravings hit, make yourself a hot drink - I like coffee with a 35 calorie chocolate creamer. It tastes decadent and you have to drink it slowly. It seems to help me. If that doesn't help, just go to bed. I have done that often. No more calories, want to eat - just go to bed. When you wake up, you will have made it through one day! And it gets easier after that. Really.

dechelonian wrote: »

But you are a human being and as such you have the gift of reason. If you start craving sugars but you know you already had enough food for the day, then take a deep breath, count to 20 and don't eat them, carry on.

This. Writing about how you feel might help--it really sounds like you might be wanting them out of the habit or some kind of mental need (which is normal) not hunger, so part of that is simply learning that it's not a need, even when your mind is claiming otherwise.

Not having the foods in your house might help.

Eating something quite different might help. For me if I totally have the munchies at night a little cheese or a pickle or something can satisfy me and definitely move my palate away from any desire for sweets.

dannicaburson wrote: »

I did successfully drop soda, use Splenda in tea and coffee, switch to low carb milk (hood), I don't miss breads and pastas, but my body seems too and thus I go on a sugar binge... I am seriously like a heroin addict, I have spent money I didn't have to spend on sugary crap! Ordered it to be delivered, eaten it in secret...

If this is the case, perhaps therapy is in order.